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[credere]

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[magician_king]

"Unless crowding him would hurt him. I can live with being dumped, I don't want to hurt him."

Is the only way he can think of explaining the difference.

"But you're right. I'll wait until the two week mark even and then I'll find him."

[credere]

"I hope you can fix things. I - I don't want you to lose what makes you happy."

It's the best way he can put it.

[magician_king]

"Thanks."

He says, and scrubs his face again.

"Fuck, I forgot the downside of dating."

[credere]

"....People can be very complicated," Credence offers, cautiously, since he himself is navigating both sides for the first time.

[magician_king]

"That's true."

He says, and sips his tea, composing himself.

"God, this is miserable. I hope things with Shiro are still good?"

[credere]

"Yes. She painted my nails."

Most of it has chipped off, but there's still traces of pastel yellow near his cuticles.

[magician_king]

"That's probably a good sign."

Says Quentin, leaning over to see, and then sipping his tea again.

"It's good that you can do things like that together."

[credere]

"It is good. I...."

He frowns.

"I know I have to change so I can graduate," he says, abruptly. "But what if I change into someone people don't like?"

[magician_king]

"Well, don't think about 'people' as a conglomerate with a consensus."

Is Quentin's first advice.

[credere]

He very clearly doesn't know what either of those words are.

"...you mean not everybody thinks the same thing," he ventures.

[magician_king]

"Yeah. Whoever you are, someone won't like you. Fuck that person."

Reasons Quentin, philsophically.

"Be whoever you like, and be someone who is good to the people you like most."

[credere]

That sounds overly simplistic, but maybe Credence is biased on the basis of past experience.

"You make it sound really easy."

[magician_king]

"It isn't easy, but it is important."

He says, with a shrug.

"Don't appeal to people. Be good, instead."

[credere]

How can you do that without letting people take advantage of you, he doesn't ask. He honestly doesn't think there's an answer.

"I know I should."

Which is more honest than saying he's trying.

[magician_king]

"I like you, and I think you're a good person."

He needs to say.

"You were really nice to me today."

[credere]

As usual, he struggles with the praise.

"...I just want you to be happy. I hope you can fix things."

[magician_king]

"I'm going to do everything I can to try."

He says, gamely.

"I will."

[credere]

"I don't know that you did anything wrong. But if you did - they should forgive you. That's why we're here, isn't it?"

To let bygones be bygones, even when it's hard.

[magician_king]

"Even though I'm ostensibly a warden now?"

He doesn't sound sure of this at all.

[credere]

"Yes."

To Credence's mind, that shouldn't matter.

[magician_king]

"Yes."

He agrees, letting out a frustrated breath.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk to him."

[credere]

"Only if you think it's a good idea," Credence says, with a fresh surge of insecurity. What if Quentin talks to him and that only makes it worse? He doesn't want to be responsible for that.

[magician_king]

"You're a good friend."

He says, and hitches his legs up, crossing them.

"So how do you feel about a home reno project?"

[credere]

"In here, you mean?"

His attempts in his own room have been semi-stalled for months now. Occasionally he'll paint something.

[magician_king]

"Yeah. I don't care about it much, we could practice some techniques. Maybe do an hour here, an hour on yours?"

HE could get back into it with him.